JoJolion Volume Reprints Remove Josefumi Kujo’s Star Birthmark

Josefumi Kujo was first revealed in Chapter 44 of JoJolion, which released on June 19, 2015. He was shown in a photo on Karera Sakunami‘s phone. At the time, Josefumi was drawn with a star-shaped birthmark, leading to several fan theories about his connection to the Joestar family. However, Hirohiko Araki did not include the birthmark when Josefumi returned in later chapters. Furthermore, the final chapter of Part 8 that released in August 2021 revealed that Josefumi is not biologically related to them.

JoJolion Updates

The sixth reprint of JoJolion Volume 11 in January 2023 changed the pages showing Josefumi to remove the birthmark. The same photo was also in Volume 12, which was updated as well. The digital monochrome and colored versions of the volumes also updated to include the changes.

In JoJolion Volume 11's sixth reprint in January 2023, Josefumi Kujo's star birthmark was removed. The digital monochrome and colored versions have also been updated to remove it. pic.twitter.com/R7G1wvJYpP

— JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia (@jojo_wiki) April 13, 2023

[Thanks to Karmageddon for discovering this in his physical volume]

Prior to removing Josefumi’s birthmark, the older volumes were additionally updated to change Kyo Nijimura’s name to Kei Nijimura. The kanji is the same but can be read in both ways. Thus, Shueisha initially published the manga with the incorrect furigana spelling (which shows how the name should be read). Araki did not notice until Chapter 102 released in December 2020, where he announced the proper spelling.

Older Updates

Updates in volume reprints are rare. The first chapter of Phantom Blood had a typographical error when it was published, where “Nani o suru da” (何をするだァーッ) was written instead of “Nani o surun da” (何をするんだァーッ). This error was not fixed for 15 years until the 66th printing, and has since been replicated in other works such as All-Star Battle.

Chapter 253 (the 140th chapter of Stardust Crusaders) was also updated in 2008 as Shueisha asked Araki to redraw scenes depicting Noriaki Kakyoin and DIO fighting on top of a mosque. The mosque was replaced with a regular building.

In 2021, Chapter 5 of Stone Ocean altered the inking on a female inmate and replaced her banana with a sandwich to avoid allusions to racial caricatures and blackface.

About JoJolion

JoJolion (ジョジョリオン) is the eighth part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. It was serialized in Ultra Jump from May 19, 2011 to August 19, 2021. The story begins in 2011 and follows Josuke Higashikata. He is a young man afflicted by retrograde amnesia, searching to uncover his identity in Morioh Town. However, his digging pulls him and his adoptive family into the unfinished business between his previous life and an impending inhuman threat. Araki also won the Iwate Hometown Special Manga Award for Part 8 in late 2021.